Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s inspired an entire generation of kids to try their hand at basketball. Among them was Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade. The future NBA superstar was nine years old when the Bulls won their first title in 1991. That win inspired the Chicago native to become a basketball star. However, Wade’s path to superstardom would not be easy and it had many ups and downs.

In an interview with GQ Magazine in 2020, he revealed how his father, Dwyane Wade Sr., forced him to make his life’s toughest decision. He said,

“When I was in my dad’s house at 16, it was just a toxic environment. I knew it was time for me to go because I needed to focus on me, and the home structure wasn’t allowing that. I needed to be selfish. My girlfriend’s house allowed me to do that, because it was just her and her mother…  I got out there and put my life in the hands of another family and not my family.”

Wade claimed the decision to move in with his girlfriend, Siohvaughn Funches, and her mother forced him to mature young and miss out on a normal upbringing. However, he intuitively knew that to achieve his goals, he had no choice but to leave his father’s home and become part of another family.

“You know how some people who are a part of an investment group know how to get out at the right time? You’re like, “Dang, they just, they got out before it went under.” I’ve always been able to see that and be like, ‘Okay, it’s time.’”

With basketball becoming Wade’s sole focus, he thrived on the court. In his junior year in high school, he averaged 20.7 points and 7.6 rebounds. In his final year in high school, the guard averaged an incredible 27.0 points and 11.0 rebounds. Wade attracted interest from a few programs but opted to join Marquette University. After spending three years in college, he declared for the 2003 NBA draft and was picked fifth overall by the Miami Heat. The rest is history.

Dwyane Wade and Siohvaughn Funches’ relationship timeline

Wade and Siohvaughn Funches have known each other since they were nine. They didn’t start dating until they were in high school. However, their relationship moved fast, and Wade moved into her house to escape the toxicity in his home.

Funches is four months older than Wade. After graduating high school, she pursued her further education at Marquette University, where her boyfriend would arrive a year later. The couple welcomed their first child, son Zaire, in February 2002. They got married three months later.

Wade and Funches welcomed their second child, daughter Zaya, in May 2007. However, their marriage had gotten rocky by this point, and they filed for divorce shortly after. Their divorce proceedings were arduous and took six years to finalize.  Wade got full custody of their children, and while they still don’t see eye-to-eye, they continue to raise their two kids the best way possible.